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[1Ton] Whaddup? This is Potluck giving a big shout out to my main man way over there cross the seas at the www.ukhh.com
Excellent. OK, easiest place to start would be to ask, how did you get your names?
[1Ton] Well my name is 1Ton - a whole lot of weight. My fraternity brother's named me that when I was a Freshman in college so that just stuck with me. It became my deejay name and then my emcee name.
[Underrated] My name's "Underrated" because….well if you see me, I'm just a short little White dude and noone would expect me to rap and make beats. So I just came up with the name "Underrated" to sum it up.
What did you both major in at uni then?
[1Ton] I'm a business major - I actually graduated with a business degree.
[Underrated] I graduated with a computer degree.
And did you meet through university or was it through hiphop separately?
[1Ton] We met at a deejay trial at a club. We were both going to college but we didn't know each other until we met at that deejay trial. That's how he hooked up and became a group.
And coming together? Was that an easy thing? Or did it take a long time to become "Potluck?"
[1Ton] Once we met…well we were the two tightest deejays at that trial. So naturally we wanted to hook up. We just started deejaying together and everything progressed from there. It was from deejaying to making beats to rapping to releasing Cds and it's like the whole time we've been doing it, we've had a lot of homies that've been down and a lot of different things have happened but it was like me and him was the only ones that stuck it out and were always down to put in work and work hard. So by process of elimination,
we were left standing and we had a cool chemistry as far as the type of music we liked so that shared love just transcended when we started making CDs.
What sort of reaction did you have when you first formed the group - because as you point out on record, you're one big Black guy and a small White Jewish guy - did that cause any problem for you in the local scene or at gigs?
[1Ton] Actually, people didn't know how to react because, when we showed up to gigs - because this is our first CD where we've got our picture on the cover. So a lot of times, a lot of people wouldn't know how we looked before the shows No one would expect us to rap, no one would expect anything from us and then we'd get up and rap and it worked to our advantage because they expect like nothing from us because of how we look and then they see us get up there, we throw it down and they're really happy - So it works to our advantage.
Whereabouts did you go to university? Was that Humboldt County too?
[1Ton] Yeah; Humboldt State university.
And how would you describe that area? Because, people over here are familiar with the big or highly-publicised areas of California like "South Central" or whatever? What's the vibe in Humboldt?
[Underrated] The vibe is real cool. Everyone's just chilled, relaxed in Humboldt. Most people around just like to smoke and hang out - pretty much do nothing. But it's cool. Everyone around is cool and it's not really as violent or exciting as much as other places.. It's just a relaxed typa community -
[1Ton] It's the marijuana capital of the world!
Which brings me to my next question. When was the last time you whited-out? [minor digression as it appears that this is not a familiar term with my interviewees].
[1Ton] Never hehehehe! I don't have bad experiences: I always have good experiences.
[Underrated] I think the same thing. I can't think of a time when it was bad…
Why do you think weed has become the hiphop drug of choice? It's a culture revolving around dancing and verbal dexterity and yet weed is probably the worst thing you can do for both?
[1Ton] Heheheheh…
So yeah, why do you think it has become the national hiphop drug - that's opposed to how other music forms are linked with cocaine or ecstasy or whatever?
[Underrated] I think part of the reason is because you don't hear of people OD'ing or dying from it all the time. So…it's not really a hard thing drug-wise.
[1Ton] And it's also about how you feel when you smoke weed. It makes you feel better and makes you laugh and hiphop is really a voice for people in despair who need to laugh. Hiphop is a voice from the hood, a voice for the have-nots and a voice for the people who get left out. And a lot of times, for those types of people, getting high just helps them forget about their situation. So it's an easy thing to figure out that if those types of people smoke weed, then those are the same types of people dominating the hiphop scene and thus it becomes the "drug of choice" for the hiphop scene.
When did you come up with the group name of "Potluck" and did you always operate under this name?
[1Ton] Ah yes…we've pretty much always operated under the name "Pot Luck." We came up with the name as far as the double-meaning of - well if you go to a pot-luck dinner, everyone brings different food from different cultures and everyone comes together - and like you said before, in our group, we've got a Black guy, a Jewish guy, a guy who's singing a lot on our album who's on the label is Puerto Rican, a dude who co-owns our record label with us (Jeffry Simmons Jr.) is Mexican - we've got Asians rapping on the CD…Muslims….Basically a whole bunch of races and cultures together. We've always been really open and really down to work with people who we just thought were talented and we never really got caught up in how you looked or what religion you had or how you dressed. Potluck just came together naturally.
[1Ton] Well as far Is I'm concerned, I think Ja Rule just said that stuff because he was mad because Eminem and 50 Cent basically took his whole career from him and now he can't sell any records. The facts are the facts: Hiphop started as a Black music artform. And although it started like that, that doesn't mean it has to end like that. Jazz started the same way but some of the historically great Jazz musicians ended up being White. How it starts and how it ends are two very different things and I think hiphop is now like a world-wide expressive way of life - y'know? Whether you're drawing graffiti, dancing, deejaying or rapping, it's a lifestyle that has transcended race now. Every culture, every religion and every people is now part of hiphop.
How did you select the tracks for the album?....umm…How can I explain that question? I mean did you make a lot of tracks and filter them down or did you specifically set out to make 20 or so tracks specifically for this project?
[Underrated] Nah we made probably around 75-100 songs over the past couple of years and then we just filtered through those and picked the best songs that fitted the album. We put the tracks into different categories and decided on a couple songs from each category to fit the album.
Are you going to be using the other tracks?
[Underrated] Ummm,…prolly' not.
You talk about "categories" so are you into the whole sub-genre categorisation of rap? Is that something that appeals to you or do you think it's now time for artists to do all types of rap?
[Underrated] We like every kind of rap - I meant "categories" in that we have different styles on the album that we wanted to display. We wanted to display the range of what kind of songs we can do so we decided to have a couple different songs in each different style that we have. We pretty much like every style of hiphop that there is.
But if you had to pigeon-hole yourselves, where would you put yourselves?
[Underrated] Umm…nah I couldn't do that.
That's cool. In addition to the diverse styles, you've got what appears to me to be an unusual line-up of guests. Was there any method to the selection of guest emcees and guest vocalists?
[Underrated] It kinda comes back to the same thing: we wanted to have the guests that represented our different styles. So when we were coming up with the songs, we tried to figure out which type of guest would go best with which kind of song. So it just worked out that way to have such different people.
Did you try and cater to the styles of your guest emcees (like, say, E40 or Sunspot Jonz) or did you say to them "this the track we're doing, can you bring something close to our style?"
[1Ton] I think that the music that we make is so diverse that just naturally, when we sat down to put together the album, this is how it turned out. We were on tour with The Mystik Journeyman - in fact, it was a tour with the whole Living Legends while we were making the album. We stopped in Humboldt in one of the shows and talked and we were like "Hey! We've got this song that we think you guys would be great on." They listened to it and they loved the song too so then they just threw down some verses. And that's kinda how it just worked with everyone because our style is just so diverse. We already made songs that fitted with our guests because we're fans of The Mystik Journeyman, we're fans of E-40, we're fans of Bosco and we're fans of Techn9ne. On top of being comrades in the rap game, we were fans of them all before. So they influenced our styles back then and we just happened to make songs like this.
Was there anybody you wanted to get but couldn't get on the album?
[1Ton] Yeah Tupac heheheheh! It would have been nice to get Tupac because I think he's the best rapper ever but he's dead now so it couldn't happen -
Are you sure? I heard he was in Cuba?
[1Ton] Yeah he might be chilling on an island somewhere…
Cool. Have you made any plans or any investigations into getting your music associated with a sports programme or like a footwear franchise?
[1Ton] We've submitted some stuff…Like some of the newer video games that are coming out are going to have some instrumental tracks that Underrated has done. We're going to be on a couple compilations - but as far as associating directly with any sports? Nah we haven't done that yet.
Can you tell me a bit about Lost Koast Productions? Is that a fully-fledged label or what is it exactly?
[1Ton] It's just our own independent label. We started it pretty much right after we decided to commercially release our records as a group. Our first record did so well that we were able to hook up with a lot of people we met on the road. I don't know if you're familiar with some of our previous releases but we put out a compilation where we had people anywhere from Brooklyn to Mississippi. A whole bunch of people who were on that compilation are now on the lostkoastproductions.com roster. They're kinda like the up-and-coming guys and eventually, after our album goes and does well, hopefully we'll bring newer people.
Do you think that the internet is a good vehicle for hiphop?
Have either of you participated in online battles and the message-board "keystyle" things?
[Underrated] Hehehehe, not really.
[1Ton] Not really as far as online battles BUT we're constantly going online and into chatrooms to discuss hiphop, the culture and what we like or don't like about the new CDs we've bought. As far as communication it's a cool thing but we really don't get involved in the online battling thing.
What was the last Hiphop record that either of your bought?
[1Ton] It was the new Talib Kweli.
Do you rate it? Do you think it's any good?
[1Ton] Oh yeah. I think it's wonderful. I really like Kweli and I really like what he's doing. I've got respect for him as an artist and where he's coming from. I think hiphop in general needs more people like Kweli. Hiphop needs people to try and be more political - well not "political" but just like needing to be more uplifting and conscious than just all this "I've got the biggest platinum chain with a million diamonds in it…I've got ten different women" - I think rap is kinda saturated with that style of rap.
I guess a question more specifically aimed at Underrated. How do you feel about how anybody who is White and/or who comes out with a double-time flow gets compared to Eminem. Do you think it's a fair comparison for everybody who fits that description to be compared to Eminem?
[Underrated] How do I feel if people compare me to him? Well it's kinda an honour because he's pretty much one of the best rappers there is. But at the same time, I've got my own style. I didn't copy Eminem. Yeah people have compared me to him but I was rapping long before Eminem came out and definitely a couple years before I even heard of him. There's a lot of people I think that started rapping after him just because it was the cool thing to do so the comparisons are there. But at the same time, I've got my whole own identity as well.
Apart from yourselves, who's your favourite rap duo?
[1Ton] Well I think that any time you're going to talk about duos, I've always said that Run-DMC set the standard of how a duo is going to go out and perform, how a duo is going to go back-and-forth (both in the studio recording an album and on stage performing). I feel like they set the bar real high and I personally feel that no duo since them has been able to reach that bar. I really like Outkast. I like their older stuff - I think a lot of their newer stuff is pushing the envelope away from what I would consider an Outkast record or the Outkast that I fell in love with - but I respect them just the same. So I would say Run-DMC as far as a duo. I don't think any duo since them has been able to reach what they did.
How do you two intend to spend Halloween?
[1Ton] Actually for Halloween, we're going to be gone: we've got a show in Texas for Halloween.
Who else is on the bill?
[1Ton] Actually it's a big college convention. We're going out there and doing a show and then hopefully other colleges will bring us to their campus based on that performance. So there's like fifty different acts: rappers, jazz, comedians, punk-rock groups - just a whole bunch of things.
OK, just to round it out then, if there's anyone you want to biggup? Final words of wisdom? Anything else you want to plug? Get it in now.
[1Ton] Basically we want to tell everybody we've got a new album out. It's called Harvest Time. Support Underground hiphop, go pick up a copy. Order it online, go to your local record store, demand they play it on your local or college radio - y'know, whatever.
© CD Goldie for ukhh.com - 2004
interview 0259 added
14.11.04 words: Sumo Kaplunk
Potluck
are here to remind us not to judge a book by its cover, a group by their name or a CD by its artwork. When I originally opened the press package to be greeted by a couple free Grand Royal easy-roll blunt cases, I had more than a few suspicions as to what these guys were about. I fast believed my suspicions confirmed as I hit play on my CD player to hear the album's first track. The mixture of 1Ton's mellow drawl and Underrated's high speed tongue-twister nasal twang over the glossy keyboard beat soon led me to place this act well within Westcoast rap territory somewhere between Cypress Hill and Too $hort. I could have so easily jumped to conclusions about these guys and pretend I'd never heard of them. HOWEVER, far more than the cheba-addled skunk rappers their name suggests them to be. Potluck are Two extremely down-to-earth mellow fellows reveling in the little dramas of daily life. Whereas many of their peers will present themselves as super men or super martyrs, 1Ton and Underrated will portray their relationships, their grievances and their love of basketball in their true colours. I recently had the opportunity to speak with the guys and here's what they had to say during that brief trans-Atlantic call...
"...
this is our first CD where we’ve got our picture on the cover
..."
"...
Every culture, every religion and every people is now part of hiphop
..."
[Underrated] Yeah the internet is a real good thing for hiphop and it's a good thing for music in general. It's a real good thing for us because where we live, Humboldt County's a real small place so it's a good way for us to get our music out to different people. Also I sell beats across the internet which is a real good thing for me.
"...
hiphop is really a voice for people in despair who need to laugh
..."
Props to 1Ton and Underrated for doing the phoner. The duo's sophomore album Harvest time is out now. Much like Murs, Oh No and England's very own Paragon, Potluck are no rap demigods: Potluck are a pair of ordinary heroes relating everyday experiences and accessible ideas via electrifying styles that push themselves to the limit. 1Ton's smooth, steady raps are perfectly complemented by Underrated's slip-slide double-time twang and together, Potluck offer the well-rounded perspective of the homeboy-from-next-door speaking about their daily gripes and glees.
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